Shahbaz announces aid package for flood affectees

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced a financial assistance package for the flood affectees of Southern Punjab, under which Rs40,000 will be distributed among each one of them in two equal installments.

The financial assistance will be distributed among the flood affectees through the Khadim-e-Punjab Card. Shahbaz also announced waiving off Abiyana tax, besides providing free seeds for the next crop to the farmers in the areas declared calamity-stricken.
The chief minister was addressing flood affectees after offering Eid prayers in the Qalandar Bakhsh Ridhani village of Dera Ghazi Khan district’s Rojhan tehsil. He also sacrificed animals and distributed Eid gifts among children on this occasion, as well as freely mingled with the local people and exchanged Eid greetings with them. The flood affectees expressed their happiness and joy at finding the chief minister among them and thanked him for the financial package.

While addressing the flood affectees, Shahbaz said that he would live and die with the people and no power on earth could keep him away from the poor and calamity-hit people. “I will not rest until each and every house destroyed in the flood is reconstructed,” he assured.

The chief minister said that he celebrated last Eid with the flood affectees and he was again with the calamity-hit people on Eid this year. “My bond with the people is lasting,” he stated. Shahbaz said that the Punjab government was carrying on rehabilitation work on priority basis. He also directed the authorities concerned to expedite the pace of rehabilitation work, besides developing a mechanism for the distribution of financial assistance in a transparent manner.